


Softer the Touch

by vivaforever597



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Literal Sleeping Together, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-27 23:48:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8422390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivaforever597/pseuds/vivaforever597
Summary: Honoka's convinced that cuddling and friendly kisses will open Umi's heart. Umi's convinced that Honoka is trying to kill her inside. (Nozoeli mention)





	

**Author's Note:**

> I struggled with this, and it's not really what I wanted it to be. Ughhh. But hey, it meant I added in the mutual pining, a.k.a. best trope ever.
> 
> Inspired by the [SIF event story](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ7UpA1PNg8) that ends with Honoka coaxing her way into Umi's bed for the night, and Umi admonishing her not to snuggle so close. I did, however, go with the anime/movie canon that bb Umi joined Honoka and Kotori, who were already best friends, after watching and envying them, as opposed to the SIF canon that "we've been friends since we were in our mothers' wombs."
> 
> Title's from an Atomic Kitten song that has nothing to do with the story but I suck at titles sometimes.

Honoka woke to find that at some point she’d rolled away from Umi in her sleep. Or maybe Umi had rolled away from her. Either way, she no longer had her arms around her. Honoka pouted to herself – this always seemed to happen. She rolled back onto her side and cuddled Umi again. Umi stirred in her sleep, disturbed by the forced shift in her position. Honoka took this as permission to wake her fully.

“Umi-chaaaan,” she whined, “you keep moving away from me.” Umi replied with a groan. “Whyyy?” Honoka beseeched.

“Why what?” groaned a now-awake Umi.

“Why do you always move away from me in the night?” Honoka repeated.

Umi grunted in annoyance. “Why do you always steal my blanket?” she countered, then yanked it back to cover herself.

“It would cover us both just fine if you’d stay close to me,” Honoka said sweetly.

Umi rolled over to face her, looking both sleepy and more than a little annoyed. “This is why I hate it when you worm yourself in my bed,” she said curtly. Well, it was one reason, anyway. She didn’t want to think about the emotional discomfort it brought on. This was Honoka, after all. One of her best friends for years... there was no reason for it to be any different from when Kotori slept over. And if there was, she certainly wasn’t going to admit it to foolish, oblivious Honoka.

Honoka cooed. “You could always get a bigger blanket. Or let me stay close to you.”

Umi rolled her eyes. It wasn’t like separating in their sleep was deliberate. Not that she wouldn’t do it deliberately if she could. “I’m going back to sleep,” she said, and turned to bury her face into her pillow.

“Umiiii,” Honoka whined again. The other girl gave no sign of having heard. Honoka pouted into the darkness again.

This was not how it was supposed to go. Umi was supposed to rest in her arms all night, then let Honoka kiss the top of her head in the morning when they woke up together. That was what best friends did, after all. And there wasn’t much of anything Honoka wanted to do more with Umi, her best friend. Umi, who had reluctantly joined her and Kotori as a child. Umi, who could never quite ask for what she wanted. Umi, who sometimes drove them to distraction with her intense practice schedules. But was adorable anyway. Umi, whom Honoka wanted by her side forever.

Sure, she wanted Umi to be her best friend. But even if that didn’t happen, Umi ought to accept her friendly cuddles and kisses, damn her.

She’d talked to Eli about it, for lack of anyone else. Yukiho would have been as cold as ever, telling her to own up to her feelings and explain it all to Umi. Kotori wouldn’t have been able to keep her mouth shut and would have just run to Umi immediately, ruining everything. Honoka wasn’t used to asking others’ advice or confiding in anyone, instead of confiding in _everyone_. Keeping quiet about her feelings wasn’t in her personality. But something about this particular feeling convinced her to keep a lid on it, no matter how hard it was.

Eli had smiled knowingly at her. Umi just needed time, she said. In the meanwhile, she’d suggested Honoka keep showing Umi how much she cared for her. And what better way, Honoka thought, than by insisting on cuddles in bed, as often as she could get away with?

Meanwhile, Umi glared into her pillow. Didn’t Honoka know how hard she was making this?! Every time she touched Umi, it was hard for Umi to keep from grabbing her by the arm and kissing her. Hard. That kind of display was unusual for Umi – all the more reason to keep it from happening. Last week, Nozomi had seen her pull away from Honoka’s hug a bit too quickly. Later, she’d said something about the importance of letting your feelings out, and Umi couldn’t help but think Nozomi had been talking to her. Well, she was one to talk. She and Eli were constantly all over each other; Umi didn’t want to think about what had gone on in the student council room. At least she and Honoka didn’t get up to those kinds of things in school.

Nor would they ever do those kinds of things anywhere else, she quickly reminded herself. Just because Honoka constantly appeared in her mind, there was no reason to believe she was in Honoka’s mind the same way. And every reason not to, really.

She felt a pull around her middle as Honoka wrapped an arm around her and tugged her closer. “Good night, Umi-chan,” she said sweetly. Umi bit back a response that it was already morning, technically.

Honoka took Umi’s silence as an indication that she was asleep. So surely it would be all right to make a little symbol of her affection? Umi wouldn’t notice anyway.

But Umi did feel the light kiss planted on the side of her neck. And both of them felt the warm blush spreading over their cheeks. And they both wished the other felt that blush too.


End file.
